Late Nights withSara-Jayne King

Rainbow Chicken, renamed RCL Foods, is retrenching 1 350 workers from the end of this month.

Rainbow Chicken is one of South Africa’s biggest chicken producers. The company is selling 15 of its 25 farms in Hammarsdale in KwaZulu Natal to stay afloat after years of fighting overseas chicken imports.

This week, Scott Pitman, managing director of RCL Foods, said he no longer knew what to do to save jobs.

We just don't see light at the end of the tunnel. Its been five years that we've been in negotiations with government

— Scott Pitman, managing director of RCL Foods

Pitman says most African countries have banned poultry imports from other countries, meaning they have nowhere to go.

Another problem is that South Africa has not protected its own industry and it's been targeted by other countries, and this has ruined local markets.